Geddy Lee Has ‘Accepted’ That Rush Will No Longer Tour, Neil Peart Not ‘Enthusiastic’ About One-Off Shows

It's been an especially difficult year or two for rock and metal as we've lost some of the most iconic acts either from death or retirement. Progressive legends Rush have expressed a desire to continue writing despite drummer Neil Peart announcing his retirement, at least from touring. In a new interview, Geddy Lee opened up about possibly being off the road forever and the possibility of one-off Rush gigs.

Both frontman / bassist Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson were guests on The Strombo Show(audio below), hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos. The two discussed all things Rush, including receiving a key to the city of Toronto, the exhaustive 40th anniversary reissue of the classic 2112 as well as the status of the band regarding Peart's stepping down.

Reflecting on their "R40" tour, Lee and Lifeson understood the potential finality as Lifeson offered, "Anything you do for the last time has a sense of longing and a bit of sadness, I think. And after doing this, for Geddy and myself, for 46 years, for 47 years, it did seem a little… you took in every second of every show and made sure you scanned the whole crowd and put it in your memory banks."

Lee conceded it was tough to come to grips with the idea, explaining that denial had a habit of settling in at times, but stated, "I think I've accepted that it's probably the last one as a tour. So we'll see!" As for Peart signing up for a one-off show here and there, Lee said, "Yeah. we send all those things, but the responses are not as enthusiastic. [Laughs] We talk."

Lifeson went on to reveal that he's still active behind the fretboard, keeping his fingers loose and "doing some charity gigs with other guys, old guys like me who don't have gigs anymore who get together, and it's a very positive, productive thing that you're doing and it's fun to get together and play, whenever you get a chance to play."

Explaining that he's still working on clearing his head following what was likely Rush's final tour, Geddy Lee remains reluctant to pursue musical ventures outside of the band, adding, "I've had some approaches, but I'm not ready to do anything yet… Records with other people... I don't want to do something just to do it. To me, it has got to be meaningful to me. It has got to be meaningful... I know that I'll know it when it presents itself to me."

Rush chronicled the "R40" tour in the forthcoming Time Stand Still documentary, which will be released on Nov. 18. The film is packed with interviews with not only the band, but their crew, management and the fans. They'll also be issuing an incredibly elaborate 40th anniversary edition of 2112 and the details can be found here.

Rush on The Strombo Show

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